


The Arboreal Platforms

by DictionaryWrites



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Space Husbands
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-02
Updated: 2015-06-02
Packaged: 2018-04-02 14:34:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4063561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DictionaryWrites/pseuds/DictionaryWrites
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Kirk wakes up, Spock is outside. Spock is doing something unexpectedly hilarious.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Arboreal Platforms

Jim wakes somewhat bleary-eyed, and he sits up in his seat, stretching his stiff neck with a soft, half-grumbled noise and rolling his tired shoulders; the book he’d been holding in his lap is gone, as is the glass he’d had balanced (precariously) on the arm of his chair. He spies both neatly placed on the coffee table, his drink  _immediately_  in the centre of a wicker coaster, and his book perfectly parallel to the glass, with a bookmark sticking out from the pages.

Jim smiles, feeling a warm satisfaction settle in his chest as he considers how very precise Spock can be.

“Spock?” He calls, and he receives no answer. He glances to the clock, noting the time - he’d only been asleep for a few hours, and to his awareness Spock hadn’t had any plans to go out.

He stands, stretching with another quiet groan, and he idles his way towards the door, stepping out onto the porch and glancing around the garden. Spock is not on his meditation mat in the setting sun, and nor is he settled with a PADD on the bench he had insisted on carving for himself when Bones implied Jim would  _like_  a hand-made bench. He’s not amongst the flowers Hikaru had sent over for the bed, examining their growth (and pretending not to enjoy their scents), and nor is he in the seat to Jim’s side, where the both of them often settle together.

“Spock?” He calls again. There is silence, and then there is an answer.

“Jim.” Spock replies. For a second, Kirk can’t place him, and then he looks to the old oak tree to the side of the garden, and a grin begins to spread across his face as he notes that there is a new ladder of wooden slats creating a path up to the upper branches. Oh, he must be  _dreaming_. This is just too GOOD.

“Spock?” Jim says, and the glee must be obvious in his voice, because Spock pauses before replying with a slight  _grumble_  to his tone.

“ _Jim_.” He walks forwards, down the porch steps, and he looks up. Spock is standing on a wooden platform he has built across three of the thick branches, and he is very carefully stabilizing another. There are four, overall, two on the same level and two more creating steps, and Kirk can see the toolbox beside Spock’s feet and the  _tricorder_. Because of course Spock uses a tricorder to measure how level his wood platforms are. 

“Spock,” Jim says, voice full of faux-innocence, as if he’s not  _entirely_  ready to laugh at his husband for being ten feet up a tree and building a TREE HOUSE. “What are you doing?”

“I am assembling a series of arboreal platforms, Jim.” Spock replies, and Jim begins to laugh, looking up at Spock with undisguised delight on his features; Spock peers down at him, expression neutral. 

“ _Why_?”

“Nyota informed me humans are fond of climbing. This can likely be attributed to your tendency to explore in all directions, and your love of aspiring to heights that will better serve to break your bones when you fall.” Spock says. 

“I broke my arm  _once_ , Spock, and I wasn't even that high in the tree.” Jim says, and Spock looks at him with a WRY raise of one perfectly groomed eyebrow. “And I’m afraid I’m not  _fond_  of tree climbing nowadays.” He can’t help but consider the mental image of Spock  _climbing_  this tree without the ladder. Spock, in a  _TREE_.

The man grew up in a DESERT. Kirk cannot believed he  _missed_  what would undoubtedly have been a  _hilarious_  sight.

“Nonetheless, Jim, this series of platforms is not for your enjoyment.”

“Oh, no? Whose enjoyment is it for then, Spock?” There is a pause. Jim is RAPT, and still ready to laugh.

“Doctor McCoy is visiting us next week, Jim. His daughter will also be in attendance, and with her children.”

“You’re making a tree house for the grandkids.”

“It is not a tree house, Jim - this tree is not, in fact, large enough to accommodate-”

“It’s a tree house.”

“It is not.”

“You have tree houses on Vulcan?”

“Vulcan is primarily a desert planet, Jim. Trees on Vulcan are not dissimilar to Terran trees in make-up, but they rarely develop as, for example, this oak tree does.”

“So,  _no_.”

“It would be considered undignified.”

“Says the man building the tree house.”

“I consider it great dignity to offer novelty entertainment for the grandchildren of a dear friend.” Spock replies, and Jim smiles at him, deep affection spreading through his chest.

“I can’t kiss you from down here, you know, Spock.” 

“I will endeavour to use it as an escape when I do not wish to be kissed.” Jim laughs, and he looks at the ladder - each step is very well adhered, and they’re very thick to allow for a stable platform. Jim moves forwards, and he begins to climb - it makes him  _ache_  a little, his muscles unused to the UPWARDS exercise, but he makes good progress, and soon enough he is seated on the edge of the platform, at Spock’s feet.

“Greetings, t’hy’la.” Spock says quietly. His lip twitches. 

“Hello, husband.” Jim replies, and he gestures, with one hand, for Spock to lean down. Spock hesitates, just for a moment, and then he crouches, pressing his fingers to Jim’s in a Vulcan embrace even as he leans forwards and performs the human equivalent. 

It’s a quick kiss, but when Spock draws away Jim cannot help but beam.

“If Doctor McCoy asks, Jim, you will inform you that it was you who built this series of arboreal platforms.” 

“When Doctor McCoy looks at the tree house, he will  _know_  it wasn’t me who built it.” Jim points out. “These old bones, Spock, aren’t fooling that old Bones.” Spock regards him with deep disapproval.

Jim winks at him. 

“You will inform him you built this platform, Jim.”

“Yeah, Spock,” Jim says affectionately, with a fond tap to the other man’s right foot as he reaches for Spock’s juice and takes a sip of it (whilst, of course, ignoring Spock’s unimpressed glance), “I’ll tell him.”

Spock, really, is pretty much a perfect husband. And Jim can’t wait to see Bones’ face when he realizes what Spock’s done for Joanna’s kids. 

Bones is going to laugh SO MUCH. 


End file.
